You're Still With Me
by SnitchDucky
Summary: Ellie Jones is struggling to deal with the pain of losing Fred Weasley, until she realizes only one person can help her, one that is suffering even more than she is: his twin George. Setting placed during the Battle of Hogwarts and the months following.
1. Chapter 1: The Battle of Hogwarts

"No! Fred! No!"

Ellie struggled to hear the agonizing voice over the screams and shouts of the destruction. She tried to remove the broken stone and glass fallen from the wall destroyed only moments before. With each movement, she felt a sharp pain in her left arm.

"Fred! Why? _Why?_"

There was the muffled voice again. Was it Ron? No, this voice was lower, and she could detect that slight pompous tone…

"Percy!" She heard Hermione call, and then gasp.

"Oh my God!"

"Ellie! Where's Ellie?" Harry asked frantically.

"Over here!" she called weakly, pulling her right arm up and waving it.

Harry staggered over, careful not to trip on the debris scattered from the explosion. He held out his left hand and she took it with her right, pulling herself up.

"You all right?" he asked slowly, avoiding her eyes and looking at the ground.

"I'm fine," she lied, trying to ignore the pain in her left arm as she hid it under her robe.

Together they walked carefully to where Percy kneeled, pounding the ground with his fists.

"I'll kill him, I'll kill him!" he was shouting.

Kneeling beside Percy was Hermione, nearly sobbing, and Ron standing above her, his eyes foggy and his freckled face white.

Something was wrong, Ellie panicked. Where was Fred and why was everyone kneeling? She turned to Harry and glared at him.

"Harry, what's going on?" she demanded as they approached the group. "Where's-

"Fred."

She didn't recognize him for a moment. He was buried underneath the blocks of stone, only his head and right leg visible. The grin was still etched on his face. His eyes were open, but they no longer held any depth as he stared unblinking.

An unbearable pain overcame Ellie's body as she dropped to her knees. _No, no, he's fine,_ she assured herself. _He's just teasing, he's done it before._

"Fred, stop messing around. Please Fred, it's not funny," she pleaded.

Hermione and Harry exchanged a worried look. Ron's head was bowed.  
"Fred, please say something, Fred, FRED!" Ellie's voice was growing increasingly desperate with each word she spoke as she shook him violently, urging him to wake up. Her head was pounding, but she no longer felt the pain in her arm.

She tried to hold back the tears, but they insisted on coming. She looked at his grinning face, his crooked smile, and his brown eyes. This was the face she had loved for years, the face she couldn't bear to say goodbye to, but she knew the truth and forced herself to finally accept it: Fred wasn't joking.

"How could you leave me?" Ellie whispered. She bowed her head and a tear fell onto his right hand, followed by another and another. She closed her eyes.

Someone moved beside her and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"It's going to be all right. We'll get through this," Hermione encouraged.

Ron dropped to his knees as well and Harry joined Percy on the ground, trying to calm him. Despite the screams and explosions of the battle down the corridor, they remained huddled around Fred's body.

Ellie's mind drifted back to the summer evenings of the past summer, before she had set out with Harry, Ron and Hermione on the search for Horcruxes. Those evenings when she and Fred had sat beside the garden, listening to the angry voices of the gnomes scurrying about and discussing Quidditch and future plans for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with George.

She remembered listening to Potterwatch after she'd left, anxious to hear his voice while on the search for Horcruxes, and the joy she felt in her heart when he dedicated an 'I love you' to her over the broadcast, somehow always seeming to know she was listening wherever she was. Just by hearing his voice, his laugh, no matter how far he was, was enough to get Ellie through each day and now his voice was gone forever.

"No, no it's not," she whispered at last.

"Ellie…" Hermione warned cautiously, knowing what was going to happen next.

Ellie stood up as another explosion boomed at the corner of the corridor.

"No, it's not going to be all right! Fred is dead! He's dead, don't you get it?" she shouted angrily. "How can you just say everything will be all right? He's gone! Gone, damn it! And he's…he's never coming…" Ellie struggled to finish the words as tears flooded her eyes again. She could feel the pain feeding on her heart, making it difficult to breathe. But something stronger was overcoming the pain, something she had never felt so strongly before: hatred.

It was flowing everywhere in her body, through every bone and vein. She hated everyone; she hated the Death Eaters, she hated Voldemort for starting everything, she hated Harry for letting it happen, but most of all, she hated herself for not doing anything about it. The realizations that someone was responsible for Fred's death made her yearn only for revenge; to kill the person who had done it.

Ellie sighed, feeling defeated. She didn't even know who had killed him. But someone had to have seen it, someone beside Fred before the explosion…

"Percy!"

Percy looked up at Ellie from the ground, his face grimy and expressionless.

"Percy, who did it? Who killed him?" she demanded.

Again, Percy only looked at her.

"Percy, tell me! Tell me who killed Fred!" she repeated angrily.

Percy looked at her for another moment, his eyes flashing.

"Rookwood," he replied bitterly.

Harry quickly stood up and faced Ellie.

"Ellie, I know what you're thinking. We can't do this right now. We'll find him and we'll get him, but we have to get the Horcruxes," he reminded her. "We can't do this right now. We need you. If we don't get Voldemort, everyone will die."

Ellie glared at him, hatred burning her face.

"It doesn't matter if I live anymore," she spat. "So one person is not enough? Fred died, but that's not enough is it? Not enough to care?"

She turned to Ron.

"Ron, he was your brother, damn it!"

No one said anything. Ron turned a deep shade of red, mimicking his hair. Percy stood up and leaned against the wall, waiting for something to happen.

"So that's it?" Ellie finally said, looking at Harry and Hermione's determined faces. "That's how much Fred Weasley meant to you?"

"Ellie, please, _please!_" Hermione begged, her eyes full of tears. She tugged at Ellie's arm. "We have to get the snake, we have to go!"

Ellie pulled away, ignoring Hermione's pleas.

"Leave his body here. Let him wither away." She forced the bitter words. "And you know what," her voice rising, "you can all just go to hell!"

And with those final words, she turned and ran. She ran to leave the world behind, to leave those last few excruciating moments. She didn't know where to go for a brief second, angry at her own confusion. She narrowly avoided a shot of green light, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she continued running. She didn't look back at Harry and the others calling for her to stop.

"Ellie!"

She turned around to see Percy panting behind her, trying to catch up. His eyes were narrowed and his face flushed.

"Percy, what the hell are you doing?" she called, and turned around to see him as they ran.

"I have to kill him!" Percy snarled.

_Rookwood_, she remembered. There was a large group of people at the corner of the corridor. Some were in Hogwarts uniforms, others disguised in hooded black robes.

"Which one is he?" she shouted to Percy behind her as they approached the horde.

Students and Death Eaters were dueling vigorously. Ellie saw Dean and Seamus, and even though she was supposed to be hiding, Ginny weaving through the crowd.

Ellie and Percy stopped. Percy pointed to a tall dark-haired man. His hood was down and he was sending curse after curse at Hannah Abbott.

_So this is him, _she told herself. Curses were flying through her head; all she had to do was raise her wand and the deed would be done.

"I'll take him," she called to Percy over the erupting noise.

"Ellie, you can't. He'll kill you; he knows more Dark magic than all the Death Eaters combined!" He made an attempt to grab her arms. She shoved him away and reached for her wand, taking aim directly at Rookwood only feet away.

"George! George, you have to stop her!" Percy cried frantically. "She can't do this, she'll regret it!"

_George?_ Ellie turned around for a brief moment, only pausing to see him running from her right toward her, looking worried and confused.

_Oh God, George,_ she panicked._ How do we tell George?_

"No!" she heard him cry, but it was too late.

"_Crucio!"_

It was pain as she had never experienced. Her skin was on fire, her limbs twisting and writhing in agony. It felt like needles were puncturing every nerve in her body and all she could do was scream and silently pray for death.

She was scared. She remembered what had happened to Neville's parents. Death would be an easier relief. When was it going to stop? She felt her body weakening with each second and her vision was slowly blurring, until all she could see was black. Somewhere though, she could hear voices. The fighting was still going on, she guessed. Anger was bubbling inside of her. Was no one going to do anything about her?

A voice, however, distinguished itself and she could hear it clearly, almost a shout.

"_Avada Ked-_

_ "Stupefy!"_

The pain stopped immediately, leaving only a vague numbness in its place. The anger at failing to avenge Fred's death was prevalent, but slowly disintegrating, and an overwhelming wave of grief overcame her body so strongly she began to tremble.

Everything around her was slowly clearing up; she could make out faces above her and slowly recognized nearby voices.

"Ellie! Ellie, thank God! Are you all right?"

She could feel him breathing; he was directly above her. She raised her head and looked into his worried brown eyes, his ginger hair shaggy from the fighting and the blood stained on his cheeks, covering his freckles.

"George," she whispered weakly. "F-F-Fred, he's-he's…"

But George and everything else disappeared into the blackness as she dropped her head onto the stone floor and all consciousness was drained.


	2. Chapter 2: Between the Battles

**Disclaimer: Of course, I don't own the work of art that is Harry Potter. I take credit only for my O/C Ellie.**

**A/N: I'm generally trying to follow the plot line of DH, but there will be some changes to accommodate Ellie. Its a work in progress, but hey, its my first FF!

* * *

**

_"What if I fall?" Ellie asked nervously._

_ "You'll die," Fred casually replied._

_ It was a warm summer morning. The sun was shining brightly and the grass swayed slightly in the breeze surrounding the Burrow. Upon Ellie's seventh birthday, Fred had decided it was time to teach Ellie how to fly. He had secretly stolen Charlie's new Cleansweep from the broom shed and had snuck Ellie outside at the crack of dawn far out into the back field to avoid getting caught._

_ "But, Fred," she protested, "I'm only seven. Don't you think I'm a bit too young?"_

_ "I learned when I was six" he proudly announced. "And I only broke a few bones before I finally learned how to stay on."_

_ "Thanks for the encouragement," Ellie muttered._

_ Fred grinned. "You going to get on, or do I have to force you?" He cracked his knuckles in emphasis._

_ Ellie reluctantly mounted the broomstick. "What now?"_

_ "Just kick off," Fred instructed. "The rest is pretty self-explanatory."_

_ Ellie stared at him blankly. "You're a terrible teacher," she said. "Why did you wake me up at 5 in the morning just to tell me that? I could have learned that by myself!"_

_ Fred laughed. "But then I wouldn't get to play the hero when you fall, now would I?"_

_ "My hero," Ellie replied sarcastically. She gripped the broomstick tightly, excitement steadily building inside of her. She placed her feet firmly on the ground, ready to kick off. She looked up at Fred for guidance._

_ "You ready?" Fred asked, mounting his own broomstick._

_ "Ready!"_

_ "Let's go!"_

_ Ellie bent her knees and sprung off the ground, still grasping the broomstick as she rose higher and higher into the air. She swerved from left to right, trying to control the broom, until at last she could easily move in each direction. She accelerated speed and soared around the field, feeling exhilarated as she twisted and turned._

_ Fred whooped below, rising quickly until he was level with Ellie. "That was brilliant!" He cheered. "I never would have thought someone could fly so well their first time. I should have brought a Quaffle with me. Wait till Charlie and George find out! We need to get you a broomstick."_

_ Ellie grinned, pleased with herself for learning so quickly. "Well, I think Mum has a few, but she never lets me touch them," she said._

_ Fred smiled mischievously. "Oh, but there's always a—"_

_ "FRED WEASLEY! WHAT IN HEAVENS ARE YOU DOING? GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME…!" a familiar voice angrily shouted below._

_ Ellie looked down. Sure enough, standing on the ground was Mrs. Weasley, together with her own mother and both looking furious._

_ Fred groaned and slowly descended down, signaling Ellie to follow him._

_ "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? SHE'S ONLY SEVEN YEARS OLD?" Mrs. Weasley continued. _

_Ellie looked back down at Mrs. Weasley as she descended, but her face was no longer clear. Her own mother seemed to have vanished and she could barely make out Fred's figure below her as the sky around her darkened. Everything became blurred and distorted and Ellie was blinded as she floated through the darkness…_

"She's waking up!"

"Mum, she's waking up!"

"Oh, thank heavens!"

"Ellie? Ellie, are you all right?"

Ellie opened her eyes and looked into a crowd of anxious faces. Mrs. Weasley was directly above her, and crowded beside her was Ginny, Bill, Fleur, Percy and Mr. Weasley, all looking greatly distressed.

"Where am I?" She croaked, struggling to find her voice.

"The Great Hall, dear," Mrs. Weasley replied thickly. Her face was tear-streaked and she sniffled as she gave Ellie a small half-smile.

Ellie nodded. The memory of the day was returning to her: the Cruciatus curse, the wall crumbling, Fred.

She gasped. She looked up at Mrs. Weasley, understanding why she was crying.

"Fred, where is he now?"

Mrs. Weasley's eyes welled up with tears again at the mention of Fred. Beside her was Ginny, who turned her head away and stifled a sob.

Percy pointed to a bed further down the row on the Great Hall podium. Ellie turned her head and looked to where he pointed. She could make out a figure lying on the bed. Only one person was kneeling beside him, his head bowed and his body shaking.

"George," she quietly said to herself.

Ellie kicked off the thin blanket covering her and pushed herself up until she was sitting upright on the bed. She slowly started to get off the bed until she was stopped by the Weasley's protests.

"Ellie, dear, you must stay in bed," Mrs. Weasley cried through her tears.

"I'm fine," Ellie protested.

"No, you have to stay in bed," Ginny agreed with her mother.

"Let her go."

Ellie looked to see Ron arrive beside her bed, Hermione behind him. They both looked grieved and worried, and were covered in ash.

"You guys know Ellie has never let an injury keep her down," Ron continued. "She's been through enough already. She saw him die; she deserves the right to see him now."

Ron's honesty was painful, but nevertheless, Ellie gave him a grateful look as the other Weasleys moved aside to let her stand.

She approached the bed where Fred lay. George looked up at her as she came up beside him, and gave her a look of pure agony, so full of emotion that Ellie couldn't blink away the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. She dropped to her knees beside George and bowed her head, crying silently. Behind her, all the Weasleys, now joined by Charlie, huddled closely together. Mrs. Weasley sat on Fred's bedside, her sobs shaking the bed violently. Hermione knelt down beside Ellie and put an arm around her.

Ellie gave Hermione a surprised look. "I know I was being crazy before and that you have a right to be mad at me. I'm sorry."

Hermione shook her head and gave Ellie a small smile. "Don't be."

There was a long silence accompanied only by sniffles and the sobs of Mrs. Weasley.

"We need to talk, everyone," Mr. Weasley finally said. He moved away to the empty beds further down the row and motioned for everyone to follow him.

Ellie could not find the will to stand up and leave Fred. George must have felt the same, because at last only the two of them remained. They sat in silence.

Ellie allowed herself to look at Fred. The blood was wiped off, but his face still held the haunting grin with no emotion that would forever be Ellie's last memory of him. The tears kept flowing as she touched his cold and lifeless hand and buried her head in the sheets.

The full realization that Fred was gone had hit her, and a gaping hole was left inside of her heart. She could only remember life with Fred Weasley; he was her best friend before Harry, before Hermione, even before Ron and George.

Fred and George became her partners in crime, since she and her mother had become their neighbors when Ellie was only five years old. Fred trusted her and always informed her of their latest plans, even against George's occasional protests. He taught her everything she knew about Quidditch, always agreeing to practice with her even for hours at a time.

She recalled the dream she had minutes ago, one of her favorite and memories of childhood that she often dreamt about. She had just turned seven when Fred decided it was time she learned to fly. Even though they were caught and punished her first time, they would continuously sneak out at different times to practice her flying until Mrs. Weasley and her own mother finally gave in and allowed her to fly. By then, nine-year old Ellie was such a good flier that she even gave Charlie Weasley some worthy racing competition.

She loved flying, and even though Fred was an obnoxious and unhelpful teacher at times, he always encouraged her to keep flying with his jokes and challenges. She didn't know if she could ever fly again knowing he was gone; the memories would forever haunt her.

She turned to George, who was slouched on the bed, head still bowed.

He raised his head and looked up at her. His face was pale and his eyes bloodshot; Ellie guessed he had been crying. George Weasley, prankster and comedian, had been crying. Her heart burned with pain and empathy.

"Do you know how it happened?" She asked him softly.

George nodded. "Percy told us everything while you were…asleep," he explained. "He wouldn't tell me who did it though. But you know, don't you?" He looked at her, his eyes pleading.

She shook her head. "It's not important anymore. I tried; revenge isn't going to make anything easier."

"Ellie, please," he begged. "I just want to know." He looked down at his twin, shaking his head. "Percy told Mum and Dad. I deserve to know, he was my…brother." His voice choked on the last word.

Ellie had never seen George this vulnerable. It terrified her and she felt her heart breaking.

She didn't know what to do, so finally she held out her arms and wrapped him into a hug. "Rookwood," she whispered.

Something flickered in George's eyes, but he simply nodded. "I saw him running towards the forest during the battle." He clenched his wand.

"George, don't do anything crazy," Ellie cautioned. "You saw what happened to me. We can't lose you too."

"Ellie, trust me," he reassured. He opened his mouth to add something, but was interrupted by the sudden shout of Neville Longbottom, who had just run through the entrance.

"Harry's gone! He's gone to the forest!"

Hermione gasped. A great commotion suddenly filled the Great Hall. Ellie quickly stood up.

Ron gritted his teeth. "I knew he'd pull a stupid stunt like this. It's over."

Bill smacked him upside the head. "Shut up," he said angrily.

"There's going to be another battle then," Mr. Weasley said. "We have to prepare. Oh, where's Minerva?" Mr. Weasley said. He rushed away to look for Professor McGonagall, finding her at the Great Hall entrance questioning Neville.

On the podium, Mrs. Weasley took control. "Everyone grab your wands. We must be ready to act."

Ellie turned to George. "Are you ready?"

George nodded confidently. "More ready than I have ever been."

Within a minute, Professor McGonagall approached the podium. Everyone immediately went silent. She raised her wand and shouted "The Death Eaters are approaching. There is no time; we must battle here."


End file.
